1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a strain relief, and more particularly, a strain relief for an electronic cable.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A Lightning® cable connector is a proprietary computer bus and power connector created by Apple® Inc. to replace its previous proprietary 30-pin dock connector used to connect Apple mobile devices like the iPhones®, the iPads®, and the iPods® to host computers, external monitors, cameras, USB battery chargers, and other peripherals.
Using eight pins instead of thirty, the Lightning® cable connector is significantly more compact than the 30-pin dock connector, and can be inserted with either side facing up.
The Lightning® cable connector was introduced in 2012, and as of November 2014, is used by the iPhone 5® onwards, the iPod Touch® (5th generation), the iPad® (4th generation) onwards, the iPad Mini® and the iPod Nano® (7th generation).
Numerous innovations for cable strain relief devices have been provided in the prior art that will be described. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they differ from the present invention.
A FIRST EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,323,727, Issued on Apr. 6, 1982, to Berg teaches a cable strain relief and sealing apparatus including a sleeve formed of flexible and resilient material having a substantially cylindrical inner surface and a tapered outer surface. The sleeve is tapered inwardly from the mid-portion thereof to both end portions thereof, or alternatively, is provided with a taper in one direction only. A plurality of oppositely extending axial slots are formed in the sleeve so that upon radial inward compression of the sleeve by a housing member or the like enclosing the sleeve, the internal surface of the sleeve will tightly grip a cable passing therethrough. A sealing bushing formed of flexible and resilient material is provided at each tapered end of the sleeve, and have a taper that is substantially the same as that of the sleeve. Each bushing includes an annular flange that extends within the adjacent end of the sleeve so that a tight sealing engagement between the sleeve, the bushing, and the cable is effected upon compression of the sleeve and the bushing by the surrounding housing members.
A SECOND EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,367,967, Issued on Jan. 11, 1983, to Albert, Jr. teaches a bending strain relief device in the form of an elongated tubular member having a longitudinal axis and including a plurality of rigid sleeve members positioned one after another along the axis. The sleeve members are connected together only by elastomeric material that deforms and flows elastically during relative angular movement between adjacent sleeve members for imparting curvature to the tubular member. Adjacent sleeve members have cooperating surfaces that interfere with each other to effectively limit the maximum degree of relative angular movement and thereby limit the degree of curvature that can be imparted to the tubular member.
A THIRD EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,576, Issued on May 18, 1993, to Tonkiss, et al. teaches a cable clamp that relieves stress between a cable and a connector with which the cable is associated. The cable clamp includes a body defining a passageway through which a cable passes and has threads. A strain relief clamp is positioned internal to the body for clamping a cable relative to the body when the cable is passed through the body. A clamp actuator assembly is threaded onto the threads of the body to actuate the strain relief clamp. Serrations are provided for inhibiting unthreading of the clamp actuator element. In an alternative embodiment of the cable clamp, the clamp actuator assembly includes a non-rotating element floating with respect to a clamp nut and engaging the strain relief clamp so that as the clamp nut is threaded onto the body, the clamp clamps the cable more tightly.
A FOURTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,744,754, Issued on Apr. 28, 1998, to Strang, et al. teaches a strain relief arrangement for electrical wires or cables, and more particularly, an electrical receptacle or housing incorporating an integral strain relief arrangement for electrical transmission cables or wires. The electrical receptacle has a rear wall structure including holes or apertures for the passage therethrough of electrical wires or cables and in which each of the holes possesses a configuration adapted to incorporate a strain relief arrangement for the electrical wires or cables.
A FIFTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,506, Issued on May 30, 2000, to Shen teaches a strain relief device adapted to be interposed between an end portion of an electrical cable and an electrical connector. The strain relief device includes a sheath that is adapted to be injection molded on the cable and which is adapted to be held on the connector. A rigid sleeve has an enlarged inner end portion and an enlarged outer end portion, and is adapted to be interposed between the sheath and the cable in such a manner that a connecting end portion of the cable is press fitted within the enlarged inner end portion of the sleeve, and that the sheath is injection molded on the assembly of the cable and the sleeve. The enlarged inner and outer end portions of the sleeve define an annular groove therebetween in an outer surface of the sleeve. The sheath has an inward flange that projects radially and inwardly therefrom to engage fittingly the annular groove in the sleeve, thereby preventing removal of the sleeve and the cable from the sheath.
A SIXTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 6,488,317, Issued on Dec. 3, 2002, to Daoud teaches a strain relief including a main body having a bore therein for passage of a cable, wire, conduit, hose, or similar member therethrough. The main body includes a first section having male threads, and a second section including a plurality of cantilevered deflectable prongs extending therefrom. A plurality of slots are located between the prongs, and the prongs decrease in width extending toward distal ends of the prongs. A flexible elastomeric grommet is located within the bore and extends substantially along an entire length of the main body. The grommet includes a cylindrical sidewall and a plurality of spaced-apart annular ribs extending radially inwardly from the sidewall. A plurality of annular grooves are located between the annular ribs. The annular ribs have inside diameters that progressively increase along a length of the grommet in order to accommodate cables of various diameters therethrough. A silicone gel is located in the annular grooves. A cap is provided that includes female threads that are engagable with the male threads of the main body for securing the cap to the main body. The cap further includes a conically or arcuately tapered wall engagable with distal ends of the prongs for compressing the prongs inwardly when the cap is threaded onto the main body, thereby compressing the grommet inwardly around the cable.
A SEVENTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 6,523,584, Issued on Feb. 25, 2003, to Rehrig teaches a cable cover for use with welding and cutting apparatus to protect and bundle together the power and any fluid-carrying lines extending from the torch handle. The cover includes an elongated panel formed of a flexible and durable material and has substantially parallel edge portions adapted to be secured together about the torch lines. A zipper is carried by the edge portions for securing the edge portions together over a first major portion of the cover. Strips of hook and loop fasteners are carried by the edge portions of the panel over the last two to three feet of the cover. Thus, a major portion of the cover is secured about the torch lines using the zipper fastener, and one or more torch lines exit the cover laterally at desired locations through the hook and loop fastener proximate the power supply.
AN EIGHTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 7,331,613, Issued on Feb. 19, 2008, to Schulte teaches a connector assembly for interconnecting separate sections of tubing, e.g., medical tubing. Connector assemblies are a two-piece construction having a connector pin and a connector sleeve. The connector sleeve includes a first end, a second end, and a passageway extending between the first and second ends. The passageway is stepped, e.g., defined by both a bore of a first diameter and a bore of a second diameter.
A NINTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Patent Office Document No. 2012/0231653, Published on Sep. 13, 2012, to Ardisana, et al. teaches strain-relief members for cables and methods for making the same. The strain-relief members are constructed to have one or more tuning members that provide selective strain relief for the cable. Each tuning member varies the wall thickness of the strain relief member, and depending on several factors, such as, how many tuning members are present, their shape, and their positions within the strain-relief member, the strain-relief member is specifically tailored to meet desired strain relief characteristics.
A TENTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Patent Office Document No. 2013/0005169, Published on Jan. 3, 2013, to Soltis, et al. teaches a lead assembly for an implantable medical device, which includes a lead body having a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis that extends between the proximal end and the distal end. The lead assembly also includes a strain relief tube that surrounds a portion of the lead body. The strain relief tube includes a flexible material configured to include contours so that the portion of the lead body surrounded by the strain relief tube maintains a formed shape that varies from the longitudinal axis of the lead body. The contours vary in response to forces on the lead body to prevent strain at the distal end of the lead body.
AN ELEVENTH EXAMPLE, APPLICATION FOR CANADIAN PATENT Document No. CA2152419, Published/Issued on Des. 12, 1995, to Burt, et al. teaches a strain relief sleeve for use in conjunction with a standard in-line telephone-type modular plug having a multi-wire cable inserted thereinto. The strain relief sleeve includes a main body in the form of a shell having walls of predetermined thickness. The main body has a cable-engaging portion and a plug-engaging portion, and includes substantially identical first and second body portions. The first and second body portions have co-operating opposed mating surfaces at the outer end of each of the side wall members that faces the respective outer end of the wall member of the other of the first and second body portions. An internal gripping surface on the cable-engaging portion is shaped and dimensioned so as to intimately engage the jacket of the inserted cable in unmoving relation thereto, to thereby cause the cable-engaging portion to securely grip the inserted cable in movement precluding relation. An internal engaging surface on the plug-engaging portion is shaped and dimensioned so as to intimately engage the exterior surface of the plug in unmoving relation thereto, to thereby cause the plug-engaging portion to securely grip the plug in movement precluding relation. When tensile forces are generated in the jacket of the cable from pulling on the cable, the forces are generally transmitted from the cable to the cable-engaging portion, through the main body, to the plug-engaging portion, and ultimately to the plug.
It is apparent now that numerous innovations for cable strain relief devices have been provided in the prior art that adequate for various purposes. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, accordingly, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.